Gel transitions in colloidal suspensions

The idealized mode-coupling theory (MCT) is applied to colloidal systems interacting via short-range attractive interactions of Yukawa form. At low temperatures, MCT predicts a slowing down of the local dynamics and ergodicity-breaking transitions. The non-ergodicity transitions share many features with the colloidal gel transition, and are proposed to be the source of gelation in colloidal systems. Previous calculations of the phase diagram are complemented with additional data for shorter ranges of the attractive interaction, showing that the path of the nonergodicity transition line is then unimpeded by the gas–liquid critical curve at low temperatures. Particular attention is given to the critical non-ergodicity parameters; this is motivated by recent experimental measurements. An asymptotic model is developed, valid for dilute systems of spheres interacting via strong short-range attractions, and is shown to capture all aspects of the low-temperature MCT non-ergodicity transitions.